Lifestyle

Belconnen Community Festival 2008

With the end of the year fast upon us so too comes the Belconnen Community Festival.

There one finds row after row of worthy institutions and Government agencies set up in little booths hoping that someone, anyone will come by and take a flyer.

A lack of shade ensures only the hardiest take a seat, sit down, and listen to whatever’s going on on the huge main stage. More often than not it appeared to be another dour lecture on sustainability and what a lovely corset you can make from recycled fencing material.

Different tentacles of the Labor party were in evidence everywhere. Be it the bravos of the Young Labor Left, the Labor Club, or their cousins from the CFMEU. Too often it felt as if we were being lectured rather than entertained.

Having said that, the free cordial (in decent sized cups) was hugely appreciated. The reptile display was really very good and the python handlers were fantastic at getting kids to touch the snakes for a furtive thrill.

When the music played it was excellent and there were multiple genres on display.

I can’t help feeling the event is still more concerned with being worthy, rather than being fun.

Having said all that, it beat being in the mall on a Saturday afternoon.

I was under the impression that llama wool, after shearing, cannot be dyed due to the structure of the wool itself, which is different to sheep?

From wikipedia: Technically the fiber is not wool as it is hollow with a structure of diagonal ‘walls’ which makes it strong, light and good insulation. Wool as a word by itself refers to sheep fiber. However, llama fiber is commonly referred to as llama wool or llama fiber.
I have heard that llama is as easy to dye as any other protein fibre (eg wool, silk). I’ve got the Kool-Aid (for dyeing wool – nobody in their right mind would drink that stuff) so I could test the theory if I could get my hands on some llama fibre.

Mary you are so correct. The Cameron Offices, or what’s left of them would be an ideal backdrop to a Soviet era spy thriller. Now that you’ve shuffled off this mortal coil do you think tv has gone back to showing filth and smut??

As for the Llamas, is one of them the one which used to be driven about in a red Mazda 121 (bubble car) with its’ head sticking out?

Really, a lot more community festivals need to be done. Get local people involved. They’ll love it.

Belconnen is a godsend to the local film industry. It offers the perfect location for anyone wanting to reproduce East Germany in the 1970s or a backdrop for anyone wanting to remake a “oop north” one of those “Thatcher’s bloody Britain” films that were so popular around a quarter of a century ago.

I only stopped by briefly, but it looked like an interesting community event. I would have liked to stay longer. The cordial/water cups had fun pictures on them which pre-schoolers like (it was from the Hawker Church of Christ stall). My only wish is that they needed more shade.